Arrow-leaved Balsamroot

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

These have begun to bloom in the last few days. Soon they will decorate the hillsides low on the mountains with large splashes of color. They are the largest wildflower blossoms in this area and grow in clumps resembling a large bouquet.

New arrivals

Redstem Stork’s Bill ~ Erodium cicutarium

Hooker’s Fairybells ~ Prosartes hookeri

Utah honeysuckle ~ Lonicera utahensis

Blue-eyed Mary~ Collinsia parviflora

Arrowleaf Balsamroot~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

(As a size comparison, a few Blue-eyed Marys can be seen in the background of this last photo.)

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot

In just the last few days the Arrow-leaved Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) have begun to bloom.

A little of the Munson Creek trail (USFS Tr 372)

Today I hiked the first couple of miles of the Munson Creek trail (from about 2,400 ft elevation to about 3,400 ft elevation) to see how the winter treated it. It was in very good condition, with a sprinkling of wildflowers all along, but only of some of the early blooming species were blooming. It is a steep and rather rough trail that is well worth hiking later in the summer when the valley is hot and the trail is cool and when there are dozens of species of wildflowers in bloom (and I will return later to see them). Here are a few photos of the trail and the flower species now in bloom along that stretch.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

Oblongleaf Bluebells, Sagebrush Bluebells ~ Mertensia oblongifolia

Hooker’s Fairy Bells ~ Disporum hookeri

Blue Clematis ~ Clematis occidentalis

Yellow Glacier Lily, Erythronium grandiflorum

Western White Trillium ~ Trillium Ovatum

Recent wildflower blooms

Despite the foibles of spring weather, our wildflowers are bound to begin their spring and summer cycle. Here are some of the newest:

Shooting Star ~ Dodecatheon pulchellum

Arrow-leaved Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

Pear blossom

Nineleaf Biscuitroot ~ Lomatium triternatum

Serviceberry, Saskatoon ~ Amelanchier ainifolia

Kinnikinnik ~ Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Oregon Grape ~ Mahonia aquifolium ~ Berberis aqufolium

Early May wildflowers.

In spite of a cold spring and below normal rainfall here in western Montana, the wildflowers are blooming, but about two weeks later than usual. This morning there was fresh snow on the mountainsides a thousand feet above the valley floor.

Western Gromwell, Lemonweed ~ Lithospermum ruderale

Western Serviceberry, Saskatoon ~ Amelanchier alnifolia

Field Pepperweed, Field Peppergrass or Pepperwort, Field Cress ~ Lepidium campestre

Fairy Slipper, Calypso orchid ~ Calypso bulbosa

Marsh Valerian, Northern Valerian ~ Valeriana dioica

Hooker Fairy-bells ~ Prosartes hookeri

Kinnikinnik ~ Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Field Chickweed ~ Cerastium arvense

Arrowleaf Balsamroot ~ Balsamorhiza sagittata

Black Hawthorn ~ Crataegus douglasii

Holboell’s rockcress ~ Boechera pendulocarpa

Menzies’ fiddleneck ~ Amsinckia menziesii

Meadow death-camas ~ Toxicoscordion venenosum

Large-flowered Tritelia ~ Triteleia grandiflora